Drug use in NZ. A combined UQ and Massey University study has found methamphetamine the most commonly detected illegal drug in Auckland

14 Mar 2017

In the first wastewater study of drug use in New Zealand, methamphetamine was the most commonly detected illegal drug in Auckland.

In a pilot study, funded by Massey University, Auckland wastewater treatment plants were sampled daily from May to July 2014. These plants service a catchment area of approximately 1.3 million people. The study did not include cannabis, as it tends to bind to solids and requires extra testing which was not covered under the pilot study.

Associate Professor Chris Wilkins from the SHORE and Whāriki Research Centre co-authored An exploratory wastewater analysis study of drug use in Auckland, New Zealand, with environmental toxicologists from Queensland University’s National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology. The paper has today been published in the Drug and Alcohol Review.